Bible Study with AI: Practical Tools for Deeper Scripture Exploration

Bible Study is more accessible than ever. We have multiple resources at our disposal and we can go deeper than ever without needing to buy expensive (and heavy!) Bible dictionaries and concordances. Today we count with an even greater tool through the rise of AI.

There are various benefits to using AI as a Bible study tool. In this post, I will share some great tips to use AI as well as helpful prompts. If you’re more advanced in your Bible study journey, this will be a great resource to add to your toolbox. If you’re a complete beginner, use this tool to grow and learn.

First, let’s talk about the things that AI can’t replace when it comes to Bible study.

What AI Can’t Replace

1. A Personal Relationship with God

This point should be fairly obvious, but I wanted to state it nonetheless. AI, while an incredible helper in our Bible study, won’t be able to replace our personal relationship with God. While I encourage you to use AI to deepen your Bible knowledge, don’t use it to replace the heart of your relationship with God. God is deeply personal and loves spending time with us. No one will ever be able to spend time with God for you.

Think about it this way: A book, no matter how great, won’t take the place of your best friend in real life. AI, as incredible as it is, won’t be able to replace your daily connection and genuine relationship with God. Steward your relationship with God as best you can, because it is one of the things not replaceable by technology. At the end of the day, you can never hire someone to love God for you, and you can never have AI do the heavy lifting in your relationship with God.

2. Hearing God’s Voice for Yourself

This leads me to this next point. AI won’t replace hearing God’s voice speaking to us personally and through his Word. Hearing God’s voice is essential for our lives as Christians.

AI might help you find certain verses for certain situations, it might give you advice based on the Bible, but it won’t be able to become God’s living and active voice speaking to you. That is God’s place, and again, you are responsible for stewarding your “spiritual ears” and for feeding and feasting on his voice.

God’s voice creates, builds up, encourages, gives direction, challenges, prunes, stretches and grows. He gives direction, guides, and ultimately knows what’s best for us. AI might be a great counselor, but it cannot take the place and value of hearing God’s voice for yourself. Replacing God’s voice with AI would be to diminish the value of the relationship God paid for on the cross with the blood of Jesus.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12, NIV

3. Personal Bible Knowledge and Transformation

The thing about the Bible is that it’s living and breathing and changes us as readers. It is the one book in the world where we get to have a personal relationship with the author and interact with him as we read his words. The Bible changes, challenges, and grows us.

AI is a magnificent tool to help us gain deeper Bible understanding, but it won’t be able to transform us the way reading the Word of God directly will do. And while AI may know more about the Bible than you, remember that as God’s children it’s important to know the Bible for ourselves. The Bible will transform you spirit, soul and body. AI could potentially help you in mind, soul and body, but it won’t be able to bring about the deep, lasting spiritual and all-encompassing transformation Christ paid for on the cross.

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.” – John 6:63, NIV

4. The Work of the Holy Spirit in You

Finally, AI will never be able to become the Holy Spirit for you. You might come to it with your questions. You might seek its counsel, and advice. You may even brainstorm with it to overcome your challenges and problems, but it won’t be able to replace the Holy Spirit in your life.

And if you set it in that place in your life, then I believe you’d be diminishing the power of the Spirit and grieving him. Jesus left earth so we could have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Getting to know him is a gift and privilege, and by placing something else in his place expecting it to transform us we scorn the Helper and Counselor and can get dangerously close to a place of idolatry where we seek after someone else before seeking God.

Use AI to help you grow in your understanding of the Bible, but never let it take the place of the Holy Spirit in your life.

With all that said, let’s talk about how to use AI to help us go deeper in Bible study.

How to Use AI for Bible Study

Before you start, let’s think about the setup. You want to get the best out of AI, so before you dive into the conversation you can ask it to answer like a Christian theologian helping you study the Bible. Once you’ve done that, you’re set to explore.

Simple Access to Strong’s Concordance

It’s never been easier to search for the original meaning of words using Strong’s concordance through AI. When I want to go deeper and do a word study, I first give AI the following prompt:

“In John 15:4, what is Strong’s number and definition for the word abide?”

This prompt can be modified by changing the verse and word you’re looking up. Claude came back with the following answer:

In John 15:4, the Greek word translated as “abide” is “μείνατε” (meinate), which comes from the root word “μένω” (menō). The Strong’s number for this word is G3306. The definition of G3306 (μένω/menō) includes:

• To remain, abide
• To stay in a given place, state, relation or expectancy
• To continue to be present
• To endure, persist
• To dwell, sojourn

In the context of John 15:4, it carries the meaning of remaining or continuing in a relationship with Christ, like branches connected to a vine – emphasizing a continuous, enduring connection rather than a temporary association.

Now, if I wanted to go a step deeper, and find other places this word is used and carries the same meaning, I’d ask AI something like:

“In what other places is this word used carrying the same meaning as John 15:4?”

Since the New Testament was written primarily in Greek, and the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, you won’t necessarily find the exact word in the Old Testament as in the New Testament. In this case, you might need to find a close equivalent. You can use a prompt similar to this in order to find an Old Testament reference with a similar word:

“What would be the Old Testament and Hebrew equivalent of the word ‘abide’ (G3306) and what is its Strong’s concordance reference?”

Useful prompts:

• “Break down the original Greek/Hebrew words in [passage] and their range of meanings.”
• “In [passage], what is Strong’s number and definition for the word [specific word]?”

Understanding Historical and Cultural Context

Some passages are harder to understand than others because of the cultural and historical context. AI is helpful in breaking this down and making passages understandable.

I asked Claude to help me with the historical and cultural context in the passage of John 13:26-30. From previous study, I know that Jesus dipping the bread and giving it to Judas during the Last Supper was a sign of deep friendship. Claude came back with a very similar answer, breaking down both the historical and cultural context in this passage. Here’s a brief portion of Claude’s answer:

This passage captures a moment of profound theological and emotional complexity—Jesus knowingly shares an intimate gesture with the very person who will betray him, while the other disciples remain unaware of the significance of what is unfolding before them.

Useful prompt:

• “Can you analyze [specific passage] in its historical and cultural context?”

Book Introductions and Overviews

If you want to know the context, author, audience, and themes of a certain book of the Bible, you can use AI to get an introduction and overview to any book of the Bible. I looked up the book of 1 Thessalonians and got a great overview.

Here’s a very brief snippet of Claud’s introduction:

The First Letter to the Thessalonians stands as the earliest surviving written document of the New Testament, composed around 50-51 CE by the Apostle Paul (along with his associates Silas and Timothy). This letter represents a crucial window into early Christian community formation, coming only about 20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Useful prompt:

• “Give me an introduction and overview of the book of [specific book], including the author, audience, date, historical and cultural context, key themes, and basic outline.”

Thematic Studies

Have you ever wanted to know what the Bible has to say about certain topics? AI is great at compiling what the Bible says about certain themes throughout the Bible. By using the following prompt, you can get a great thematic study on any topic you are curious about. Keep in mind that the answer will be as broad as the theme you are exploring.

Here is a brief snippet of Claud’s answer to a thematic study on honor:

Jesus’ Teaching

Jesus radically redefines honor in ways that challenge Mediterranean honor-shame culture:

• He honors those typically dishonored (women, children, tax collectors, sinners)
• He teaches that “the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16)
• The Beatitudes honor those society considered shameful or marginal (Matthew 5:3-12)
• He critiques those seeking honor through public religious performance (Matthew 6:1-18)

Jesus models this inversion by willingly embracing shame on the cross, which paradoxically becomes the means of ultimate honor through resurrection and exaltation.

Useful prompt:

• “Trace the theme of [redemption/justice/mercy/etc.] throughout Scripture.”

Conclusion

These ideas just scratch the surface of everything AI can do to aid in Bible study. But keep in mind that, as of today, AI is still developing and growing so it can make mistakes. Be sure to fact check your information. This is one of the reasons why I mention that AI can’t replace your personal Bible knowledge. Make sure that the answers you are receiving align with the Bible and are not contradicting what’s been revealed through the Word.

Some ways to fact check are to read the Bible for yourself and gain a deep understanding of it. The more you read it, the more knowledge you’ll acquire. You can also check physical Study Bibles, read commentaries by trustworthy authors, and take Bible classes at your local church. Find solid theology books and research material by Christian authors. There’s a world of information, and with careful digging you can find discover new tools for Bible study. When in doubt, go to a trusted leader and ask for their personal recommendations.

I hope these prompts make you curious and help you delve deeper into the word of God.

Until next time,
Anna